A 1997 action film that pitted a counterterrorism agent against a flamboyant arms dealer.
In short: Directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Tsui Hark, Double Team features an unlikely duo: Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dennis Rodman. Released in 1997, this buddy action movie follows a retired agent forced back into the field to save his family from a ruthless terrorist, leading to an explosive, globe-trotting showdown.
The film, originally titled The Colony, marks the English-language directorial debut of Tsui Hark. It follows Jack Quinn, a CIA operative who retires to Southern France after failing to neutralize the terrorist Stavros. When Stavros resurfaces and kidnaps Quinn's pregnant wife, Quinn is forced to break out of a secret penal island for agents—known as The Colony—by tricking its biometric security system. He eventually teams up with Yaz, a quirky arms dealer played by Dennis Rodman, to track his nemesis across Europe.
Production was an international affair, with filming taking place in Nice, Arles, and Rome. Notably, the film's climactic sequence, which appears to take place in the Roman Colosseum, was actually shot at the Arles Amphitheater due to filming restrictions at the original site. The action choreography benefited from the expertise of Hark's frequent collaborators, Sammo Hung and Hung Yan-yan, who helped craft the film's high-stakes set pieces, including a final confrontation involving a tiger and a minefield.
Upon its 1997 release, Double Team received a polarized reception. Critics were largely unimpressed, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting only a 10% approval rating from 20 critics. Reviews frequently targeted the film's plot and the eccentric performance of Rodman, whose colorful hair and fashion choices drew significant attention. However, the film found some defenders; the Los Angeles Times praised the performances of Van Damme, Rodman, and Mickey Rourke, while a 2008 retrospective review from boxoffice.com awarded the film four out of five stars. Despite the critical divide, the film achieved moderate commercial success and remains a notable example of 1990s action cinema.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Double Team (film)
- Also: Wikidata — Double Team · CC0
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